Tilak Varma says coaches backed him to finish chase
Tilak Varma revealed pre-match conversations with Gambhir and Kotak reinforced his belief before he guided India to a four-wicket win. He remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls.
Tilak Varma said head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told him the team believed he could win the second T20I if he batted through the innings. Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls as India chased down 181 to beat New Zealand by four wickets in Christchurch on Saturday.
India slipped to 112 for 6 in the 15th over before Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy added an unbroken 69. Varma credited a 42-run stand with Naman Dhir for shifting momentum and said the plan was to stay until the end against the spinners before targeting the pacers. He received the player-of-the-match award.
The win gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Varma also set a new T20I record for most catches in a calendar year during the match.
CricHubb Take
Varma's willingness to bat through the innings against spin now gives India a reliable middle-order finisher at number five or six. That frees the selectors to keep an extra all-rounder without weakening the lower order.